After pushing hard toward an all-electric future, General Motors announced that it will step back a bit and expand its efforts to incorporate more hybrid and plug-in hybrid options. The automaker’s recent exhibit on the Beijing Auto Show gives us a take a look at how that effort might take shape, because it revealed a brand new Chevrolet Equinox Plus, a plug-in hybrid SUV for the Chinese market that would show up in some form on our shores.
Though we’re calling this a GM effort, the corporate notes it is a product of the SAIC-GM partnership. Its turbocharged 1.5-liter engine delivers 177 horsepower, and it’s backed by a 188-horse electric motor for a quoted combined output of around 365 horsepower (272kW). The 0-100 kph (62 mph) time is available in at slightly below seven seconds, and the range-topping Activ variant offers a 155km (96-mile) all-electric driving range on the Chinese CLTC test loop. It sports a 24.4-kWh battery pack, while cheaper configurations get a 16.5-kWh unit and 102km (63 miles) of range. On the EPA test cycle, these numbers would likely be lower. The Activ trim also gets a vehicle-to-load function that lets it function as a brief generator or power external devices.
While plug-in hybrid sales comprise only a fraction of EV sales within the U.S., they saw their best 12 months ever in 2023. That growth could speed up in 2024 as more automakers soften plans to push forward expensive latest EVs. They’re also a solid alternative to battery-only models, offering a buffer between owners and the sometimes lacking charging infrastructure across the country.
The brand new Equinox Plus has only just gone on sale in China, and GM hasn’t said anything official in regards to the Plus coming to the U.S.. Nevertheless it does appear to make use of the identical body and chassis because the recently redesigned gas-only Equinox that is coming to America. So it will look like it will be relatively easy and reasonably priced so as to add the powertrain to the U.S. version. Considering all that, together with GM’s stated plans about offering more hybrids, plus increasing hybrid sales, it will seem quite likely that the corporate would bring it Stateside.
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